[Politics] Sore much?

Dr Khir Mohd Toyo has blamed the Pakatan Rakyat as one of the reasons behind his failure to fulfil his dreams of wresting the Umno Youth chief post in the party polls on Wednesday.

Speaking to a press conference this morning at the Putra World Trade Centre where the Umno general assembly is being held, Khir said the Pakatan-led Selangor government’s inquiry on the Balkis fiasco had influenced the way delegates voted.

Khir insisted that he was innocent. He added that the police had cleared him and the organisation of any wrongdoing after investigations.

Balkis courted controversy when it was reported that the funds belonging to the organisation had been transferred to another account when Selangor fell into the hands of the opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat in the March 8, 2008 polls.

Its former president Zaharah Kechik, who is the wife of Khir, had reportedly called for an emergency meeting on March 11 last year to dissolve the organisation and close the account a day later.

The funds, amounting to RM9.9 million, were said to have been channelled to a different account before the money was transferred to the Badan Amal dan Kebajikan Tenaga Isteri-isteri Menteri (Bakti), an organisation helmed by the prime minister’s wife and comprising wives of ministers and deputy ministers.

Pakatan wasting their time

A public inquiry was subsequently established to probe into the matter but Khir today said it was absurd for the Selangor government to conduct the inquiry as none of them were “trained investigators.”

“They are just wasting their time. They are not concentrating on governing the state even after one year they have taken over,” added Khir.

Khir lost to Khairy Jamaluddin by a narrow 50-vote majority. The latter had 304 votes against the former’s 254 votes. Another candidate for the post, Mukhriz Mahathir came in last with 232 votes.

A total of 791 delegates had casted their votes for the youth wing’s top posts.

A very much relaxed Khir then said he would retaliate hard and further claimed that he has proof of the Pakatan-led Selangor abusing its powers by misusing government linked company funds.